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Results for “low-temperature plasma”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Selective and low temperature synthesis of polycrystalline diamond

Polycrystalline diamond thin films have been deposited on single-crystal silicon substrates at low temperatures (not above 600 C) using a mixture of hydrogen and methane gases by high-pressure microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Low-temperature deposition has been achieved by cooling the substrate holder with nitrogen gas. For deposition at reduced substrate temperature, it has been found that nucleation of diamond will not occur unless the methane/hydrogen ratio is increased significantly from its value at higher substrate temperature. Selective deposition of polycrystalline diamond thin films has been achieved at 600 C. Decrease in the diamond particle size and growth rate and an increase in surface smoothness have been observed with decreasing substrate temperature during the growth of thin films. As-deposited films are identified by Raman spectroscopy, and the morphology is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.

Ramesham, R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mars Surveyor Program '01 Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment wet chemistry lab: a sensor array for chemical analysis of the Martian soil

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) instrument was designed, built, and flight qualified for the now canceled MSP (Mars Surveyor Program) '01 Lander. The MECA package consisted of a microscope, electrometer, material patch plates, and a wet chemistry laboratory (WCL). The primary goal of MECA was to analyze the Martian soil (regolith) for possible hazards to future astronauts and to provide a better understanding of Martian regolith geochemistry. The purpose of the WCL was to analyze for a range of soluble ionic chemical species and electrochemical parameters. The heart of the WCL was a sensor array of electrochemically based ion-selective electrodes (ISE). After 20 months storage at -23 degrees C and subsequent extended freeze/thawing cycles, WCL sensors were evaluated to determine both their physical durability and analytical responses. A fractional factorial calibration of the sensors was used to obtain slope, intercept, and all necessary selectivity coefficients simultaneously for selected ISEs. This calibration was used to model five cation and three anion sensors. These data were subsequently used to determine concentrations of several ions in two soil leachate simulants (based on terrestrial seawater and hypothesized Mars brine) and four actual soil samples. The WCL results were compared to simulant and soil samples using ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The results showed that flight qualification and prolonged low-temperature storage conditions had minimal effects on the sensors. In addition, the analytical optimization method provided quantitative and qualitative data that could be used to accurately identify the chemical composition of the simulants and soils. The WCL has the ability to provide data that can be used to "read" the chemical, geological, and climatic history of Mars, as well as the potential habitability of its regolith.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1982

High density circuit technology, part 3

Dry processing - both etching and deposition - and present/future trends in semiconductor technology are discussed. In addition to a description of the basic apparatus, terminology, advantages, glow discharge phenomena, gas-surface chemistries, and key operational parameters for both dry etching and plasma deposition processes, a comprehensive survey of dry processing equipment (via vendor listing) is also included. The following topics are also discussed: fine-line photolithography, low-temperature processing, packaging for dense VLSI die, the role of integrated optics, and VLSI and technology innovations.

Wade, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Iron line emission from a high-temperature plasma in Cassiopeia A

The letter reports a measurement of the X-ray spectrum of Cas A with a proportional counter on board OSO-8. The high-energy data (greater than 7 keV) are found to agree equally well with a power law having a number index of about 4.5 and with a thermal spectrum having kT of about 3.9 keV. A narrow iron line predicted by the thermal model is also observed; this line is centered at about 6.67 keV and has an equivalent width of approximately 1270 eV. The low-energy data (below 6 keV) are not fully accounted for by the above thermal spectrum, but are fitted well by an additional low-temperature thermal component with kT not exceeding 0.7 keV and an atomic hydrogen column density of approximately 10 to the 22nd power per sq cm. The iron abundance in the plasma at an electron temperature of 40 keV is estimated from the observed line-to-continuum ratio, and it is shown that a normal cosmic iron abundance is adequate to explain the observation.

Pravdo, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Inverse correlations between the ion temperature anisotropy and plasma beta in the Earth's quasi-parallel magnetosheath

Average proton parameters in the magnetosheath downstream from the quasi-perpendicular shock (the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath) for high solar wind dynamic pressure conditions are observed to vary continuously from high-beta, low-temperature anisotropy to low-beta, high-temperature anisotropy. Observations and theory have shown that this inverse correlation is a direct consequence of pitch angle scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves, which regulate the anisotropy, restoring the plasma toward marginal stability. ALthough the previously documented spectral characteristics of EMIC waves are not evident downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock, the inverse anisotropy-beta relation found in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath also holds in the quasi-parallel magnetosheath. This indicates that the EMIC instability regulates the ion anisotropy regardless of the shock geometry.

Fuselier, Stephen A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Sulfuric acid on Europa and the radiolytic sulfur cycle

A comparison of laboratory spectra with Galileo data indicates that hydrated sulfuric acid is present and is a major component of Europa's surface. In addition, this moon's visually dark surface material, which spatially correlates with the sulfuric acid concentration, is identified as radiolytically altered sulfur polymers. Radiolysis of the surface by magnetospheric plasma bombardment continuously cycles sulfur between three forms: sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfur polymers, with sulfuric acid being about 50 times as abundant as the other forms. Enhanced sulfuric acid concentrations are found in Europa's geologically young terrains, suggesting that low-temperature, liquid sulfuric acid may influence geological processes.

unmanned↗
NASA NTRS1984

Erosion and modification of SO2 ice by ion bombardment of the surface of Io

New measurements on the effect of slow ion bombardment of SO2 ice using Ar(+) in the 15-45 keV range are presented. Total yields for loss of SO2 are given along with the energy spectra of the ejected molecules and molecular fragments and information on the chemical changes induced by the ion bombardment. These data are used to estimate that the direct sputter ejection rate of sulfur into the Jovian plasma is of the order of 10 billion atoms/sq cm/s, that the erosion rate of fresh SO2 deposits due to sputtering is of the order of 0.001 cm/yr, and that a significant and possibly observable column density of SO3 can be produced in an SO2 front only for penetrating ion bombardment. Chemical activity occurs even in rather low-temperature SO2 ice bombardment by ions in the nuclear stopping region, and this activity is likely to increase with increasing temperature.

Johnson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

High-efficiency, low-temperature cesium diodes with lanthanum-hexaboride electrodes

Lanthanum-hexaboride electrodes in 1700 K cesium diodes may triple power outputs compared with those demonstrated for nuclear thermionic space applications. Still greater relative gains seem possible for emitters below 1700 K. Further improvements in cesium-diode performance should result from the lower collector temperatures allowed for earth and low-power-space duties. Decreased temperatures will lessen thermal-transport losses that attend thermionic-conversion mechanisms. Such advantages will add to those from collector-Carnot and electrode effects. If plasma ignition difficulties impede diode temperature reductions, recycling small fractions of the output power could provide ionization. So high-efficiency, low-temperature cesium diodes with lanthanum-hexaboride electrodes appear feasible.

Morris, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Magnetogasdynamic Power Extraction and Flow Conditioning for a Gas Turbine

An extension of the Russian AJAX concept to a turbojet is being explored. This magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy bypass engine cycle incorporating conventional gas turbine technology has MHD flow conditioning at the inlet to electromagnetically extract part of the inlet air kinetic energy. The electrical power generated can be used for various on-board vehicle requirements including plasma flow control around the vehicle or it may be used for augmenting the expanding flow in the high speed nozzle by MHD forces to generate more thrust. In order to achieve this interaction, the air needs to be ionized by an external means even up to fairly high flight speeds, and the leading candidates may be classified as electrical discharge devices. The present kinetic modeling calculations suggest that the use of electron beams with characteristics close to the commercially available e-beam systems (electron energy approx. 60 keV, beam current approx. 0.2 mA/sq cm) to sustain ionization in intermediate pressure, low-temperature (P = 0.1 atm, T = 300 K) supersonic air flows allows considerable reduction of the flow kinetic energy (up to 10 to 20 percent in M = 3 flows). The calculations also suggest that this can be achieved at a reasonable electron beam efficiency (eta approx. 5), even if the e-beam window losses are taken into account. At these conditions, the exit NO and O atom concentrations due to e-beam initiated chemical reactions do not exceed 30 ppm. Increasing the beam current up to approx. 2 mA/sq cm, which corresponds to a maximum electrical conductivity of sigma(sub max) approx. 0.8 mho/m at the loading parameter of K = 0.5, would result in a much greater reduction of the flow kinetic energy (up to 30 to 40 percent). The MHD channel efficiency at these conditions would be greatly reduced (to eta approx. 1) due to increased electron recombination losses in the channel. At these conditions, partial energy conversion from kinetic energy to heat would result in a significant total pressure loss (P(sub 0)/P(sub 0i) approx. 0.3). The total pressure loss can be reduced operating at the loading parameter closer to unity, at the expense of the reduced electrical power output. Raising the beam current would also result in the increase of the exit O atom concentrations (up to 600 ppm) and NO (up to 150 ppm).

Adamovich, Igor V.↗
NASA NTRS2001

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2001

The topics include: 1) Application Briefs; 2) National Design Engineering Show Preview; 3) Marketing Inventions to Increase Income; 4) A Personal-Computer-Based Physiological Training System; 5) Reconfigurable Arrays of Transistors for Evolvable Hardware; 6) Active Tactile Display Device for Reading by a Blind Person; 7) Program Automates Management of IBM VM Computer Systems; 8) System for Monitoring the Environment of a Spacecraft Launch; 9) Measurement of Stresses and Strains in Muscles and Tendons; 10) Optical Measurement of Temperatures in Muscles and Tendons; 11) Small Low-Temperature Thermometer With Nanokelvin Resolution; 12) Heterodyne Interferometer With Phase-Modulated Carrier; 13) Rechargeable Batteries Based on Intercalation in Graphite; 14) Signal Processor for Doppler Measurements in Icing Research; 15) Model Optimizes Drying of Wet Sheets; 16) High-Performance POSS-Modified Polymeric Composites; 17) Model Simulates Semi-Solid Material Processing; 18) Modular Cryogenic Insulation; 19) Passive Venting for Alleviating Helicopter Tail-Boom Loads; 20) Computer Program Predicts Rocket Noise; 21) Process for Polishing Bare Aluminum to High Optical Quality; 22) External Adhesive Pressure-Wall Patch; 23) Java Implementation of Information-Sharing Protocol; 24) Electronic Bulletin Board Publishes Schedules in Real Time; 25) Apparatus Would Extract Water From the Martian Atmosphere; 26) Review of Research on Supercritical vs Subcritical Fluids; 27) Hybrid Regenerative Water-Recycling System; 28) Study of Fusion-Driven Plasma Thruster With Magnetic Nozzle; 29) Liquid/Vapor-Hydrazine Thruster Would Produce Small Impulses; and 30) Thruster Based on Sublimation of Solid Hydrazine

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1974

High-efficiency, low-temperature cesium diodes with lanthanum-hexaboride electrodes

Lanthanum hexaboride electrodes in 1700 K cesium diodes may triple power outputs compared with those demonstrated for nuclear thermionic space applications. Still greater relative gains seem possible for emitters below 1700 K. Further improvements in cesium diode performance should result from the lower collector temperatures allowed for earth and low power space duties. Decreased temperatures will lessen thermal transport losses that attend thermionic conversion mechanisms. Such advantages will add to those from collector Carnot and electrode effects. If plasma ignition difficulties impede diode temperature reductions, recycling small fractions of the output power could provide ionization. So high efficiency, low temperature cesium diodes with lanthanum hexaboride electrodes appear feasible.

Morris, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Temperature characteristics of electron beams and ambient particles

The temperature characteristics of electron beams and trapped particles of large pitch angles during substorms have been studied by examining the plasma data of the University of California at San Diego experiment on board the geostationary ATS 6 satellite. Approximating the observed distribution functions by a single Maxwellian or a superposition of two Maxwellians, it has been deduced that the electron distribution function is characterized by two temperatures, approximately 1 and 3 keV. The 3-keV component is observed at all pitch angles from 10 to 90 deg. The 1-keV component initially appears only within the electron beams which are confined to small pitch angles (approximately 30 deg). With time, this low-temperature component appears at larger pitch angles (approximately 30 deg). This observation has been interpreted in terms of scattering of the electron beams to large pitch angles.

Lin, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Thermonuclear reactions in cool accreting neutron stars and burst phenomena

The ignition of accreting materials on neutron stars is explored using strongly coupled plasma analytical techniques. The calculations cover the ignition temperature and density at the bottom of the accreted envelope of a neutron star. Emphasis is placed on low-temperature ignitions which take place at high densities. The investigation is extended to the accretion of material from a white dwarf in the form of pure He, C + O, or O + Ne + Mg. It is shown that electrons are strongly degenerate in low-temperature flashes, where the ignition is more dependent on density than on temperature. Precursor flashes 0.4-0.7 the intensity of the main burst will appear before the main bursts. The intensity relationship indicates that the appropriate model for an X-ray burst from a neutron star accreting from a white dwarf is a He shell flash in the presence of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. The flash will have a maximum energy of 2 x 10 to the 43 ergs and could last as long as 40,000 sec.

Miyaji, S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The temperature of solar flares determined from X-ray spectral line ratios

The effect on derived solar flare plasma temperatures of (1) a power-law distribution of emission measure as a function of temperature, (2) a high-temperature isothermal source coupled to a low-temperature power-law distribution of emission measure, and (3) two isothermal sources is calculated for line ratios involving the ions S XV, Ca XIX, Ca XX, Fe XXV, Ni XXVII, and Fe XXVI. It is shown that if the Fe XXV temperature is less than about 25 million K, as is true for the majority of flares, then about 75 percent or more of the emission measure is produced by plasma at temperatures equal to or less than the Fe XXV temperature plus about 3 million K. If the Fe XXV temperature is 20 million K or higher, this percentage can be larger. This result is obtained even if a superhot component exists that extends up to several hundred million degrees. Temperatures determined from Fe XXVI demonstrate the presence of a superhot component.

Doschek, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Sputtering of sulfur by kiloelectronvolt ions - Application to the magnetospheric plasma interaction with Io

Accurate measurements of the yields, mass spectra, and energy spectra of ejected sulfur are presented based on vapor deposits of sulfur at temperatures and ion energies relevant to the plasma interaction with the surface of Io. The measured sputtering yields are much lower than previous estimates for room temperature sulfur films, but are comparable to previous measurements of low-temperature keV ion sputtering of SO2. Results suggest that if ions reach the surface of Io its atmosphere will have a nonnegligible sulfur component which is primarily S2. Comparison of injection rates determined for sulfur with those for SO2 indicates that injection from sulfur deposits contributes 13 percent to the total mass injection rate of about 2-3 x 10 to the 29th amu/sec.

Chrisey, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Conduction-driven chromospheric evaporation in a solar flare

Observations of gentle chromospheric evaporation during the cooling phase of a solar flare are presented. Line profiles of the low-temperature (T of about 6 x 10 to the 6th K) coronal Mg XI line, observed with the X-Ray Polychromator on the Solar Maximum Mission, show a blueshift that persisted for several minutes after the impulsive heating phase. This result represents the first detection of an evaporation signature in a soft X-ray line formed at this low temperature. By combining the Mg XI blueshift velocity data with simultaneous measurements of the flare temperature derived from Ca XIX observations, it is demonstrated that the upward flux of enthalpy transported by this gently evaporating plasma varies linearly with the downward flux of thermal energy conducted from the corona. This relationship is consistent with models of solar flares in which thermal conduction drives chromospheric evaporation during the early part of the cooling phase.

Zarro, Dominic M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Laser/Plasma/Chemical-Vapor Deposition Of Diamond

Proposed process for deposition of diamond films includes combination of plasma induced in hydrocarbon feed gas by microwave radiation and irradiation of plasma and substrate by lasers. Deposition of graphite suppressed. Reaction chamber irradiated at wavelength favoring polymerization of CH2 radical into powders filtered out of gas. CH3 radicals, having desired sp3 configuration, remains in gas to serve as precursors for deposition. Feed gas selected to favor formation of CH3 radicals; candidates include CH4, C2H4, C2H2, and C2H6. Plasma produced by applying sufficient power at frequency of 2.45 GHz and adjusting density of gas to obtain electron kinetic energies around 100 eV in low-pressure, low-temperature regime.

Hsu, George C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Growth of diamond by RF plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition

A system has been designed and constructed to produce diamond particles by inductively coupled radio-frequency, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. This is a low-pressure, low-temperature process used in an attempt to deposit diamond on substrates of glass, quartz, silicon, nickel, and boron nitride. Several deposition parameters have been varied including substrate temperature, gas concentration, gas pressure, total gas flow rate, RF input power, and deposition time. Analytical methods employed to determine composition and structure of the deposits include scanning electron microscopy, absorption spectroscopy, scanning Auger microprobe spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Analysis indicates that particles having a thin graphite surface, as well as diamond particles with no surface coatings, have been deposited. Deposits on quartz have exhibited optical bandgaps as high as 4.5 eV. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that particles are deposited on a pedestal which Auger spectroscopy indicates to be graphite. This is a phenomenon that has not been previously reported in the literature.

Meyer, Duane E.↗